Balasore, February 26 (Odisha.in): Close on the heels of physical assault on a girl student of Sambalpur University, a dalit woman in Balasore district succumbed to her injuries nearly 18 hours after she was alleged gang-raped, police said on Monday.
Police sources said, the 38-year-old woman, from fishermen community, of Talapada village, under Khantapara police station area, about 35 km from Balasore died while was being rushed to local Gopalpur PHC yesterday afternoon.
According to the FIR lodged by her husband Jatia Dalai, his wife was ganged raped by four youths, also from the same community of the said village while she was returning home after selling fishes.
“When I returned back after finishing fishing, I didn’t find my wife. My neighbours told me that she had gone to sell fishes. When she didn’t return I searched but couldn’t ascertain her whereabouts. Guessing something fishy I marched towards the coast canal and found her naked and senseless,” Jatia alleged before police.
The tragic incident happened on Saturday afternoon. “They dragged me to the shore of coast canal and raped me despite my several protests,” before her death the woman had said her husband, who later disclosed to police and media persons.
Meanwhile, Police have registered a case and taken one Mania Das into custody. He was being interrogated.
“The body has been sent for postmortem. The cause of death will only be ascertained after the report comes. Further investigation is on following the statement of the woman’s husband and her neighbour,” said S K Behera, officer-in-charge of Khantapara police station.
Odisha.in